NEW YORK -- Dan Girardi has a full workload in the New York Rangers' first-round Stanley Cup playoffs series against the Washington Capitals, trying to keep Alex Ovechkin, the NHL leader in goals this season, under wraps.

Girardi is now tied with Ovechkin for goals in the series, with one, and the Rangers are tied with the Capitals through four games. The defenseman's power play goal, 59 seconds into the third period on Wednesday night, put New York ahead for good in a 4-3 victory that ensured the series will return to Madison Square Garden for a Game 6 on Sunday, following Game 5 in Washington on Friday.

NHL playoffs; The Rangers have evened up their series with the Capitals at two games apiece. (AP Photo)

Derick Brassard, working low in the Capitals' zone, found Girardi up high with the kind of precision pass that has made him popular in New York since arriving from Columbus in the Marian Gaborik deal at the trade deadline. Girardi did the rest, burying a slap shot from the point, high on Braden Holtby's stick side.

Brassard, who had a three-point night in Game 3, followed up that performance with two assists. Carl Hagelin had the three-point game for the Rangers this time, including an assist on Derek Stepan's rebound goal with 13:58 left in the third period.

The goal by Stepan proved important when, 1:29 later, Karl Alzner scored his first goal in 28 career playoff games, a wobbly shot that may eventually be credited to Mathieu Perreault for a deflection. Perreault had scored his first career playoff goal earlier in the game.

TWO AND WOE: A blistering shot from Hagelin from the left circle over Holtby's glove, 10:13 into the second period, gave the Rangers a 2-0 lead. Brassard made an excellent cross-ice pass to set up the Swede's second goal of the series.

It was the Rangers' first time leading a playoff game by two goals since their 3-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils in Game 3 of last year's Eastern Conference finals. The comfort of that margin did not last long -- 2:55 to be exact.

Joel Ward drove hard to the net, around a sliding Michael Del Zotto, and attempted to stuff the puck in. While Henrik Lundqvist was able to deal with that attempt, he could not deal with the rebound that skittered out to Perreault, who took care of the rest.

The Capitals tied the game with 17.1 seconds remaining in the middle frame, as Troy Brouwer skated across from the right circle to the slot with the puck on his stick, and lifted a backhand past Lundqvist. Brouwer's goal was set up by a strong play at the blue line by Mike Green, who managed to keep the play onside by millimeters.

Washington also had a letdown moment after reaching "2" on the scoreboard -- Jason Chimera took an interference penalty at the second period buzzer, setting the Rangers up with a power play to start the third, the power play on which Girardi snapped the tie.

STRAYIN' HOLTBY: The first period was largely uneventful until the final four minutes, but it started to get interesting when Holtby skated out of his crease to play the puck. His attempt to clear the zone was knocked down by Taylor Pyatt, and the puck came to Hagelin, who fired a shot for what he had to think was a sure goal.

Fortunately for the Capitals, John Carlson was standing in front of the crease and able to block Hagelin's shot. Unfortunately for the Capitals, the rebound went to Brad Richards, and Holtby overskated the net in his rush to make up for his error. Richards delivered the game's first goal with 3:35 left in the opening period.

The goal was Richards' first of the series after scoring six times in 20 games during the Rangers' run to the Eastern Conference finals last year. Richards scored 11 goals this season.

QUICK TURNAROUND: Michael Del Zotto took a tripping penalty 24 seconds after Richards' goal, but that did not slow New York's momentum. The Rangers' penalty killers created multiple counterattacks, and the best rush up the ice was by Stepan, who got in behind Martin Erat and started racing for the Washington net.

Stepan never made it, as Ovechkin cut off his angle and ran him over, while Erat got his stick into Stepan's body. The charging penalty on Ovechkin and hooking call against Erat -- who appeared to injure his hand on the play and did not return -- turned a Washington power play into a New York power play.

The Rangers did not get a shot on goal on the brief 4-on-3 power play, then could not solve Holtby on three shots during the 5-on-3.